Safety features allow both drivers to survive horrific West Bridgewater crash

Thursday

Mar 28, 2013 at 12:01 AMMar 28, 2013 at 3:37 PM

Although the photos from the crash look scary, both a West Bridgewater police officer and another man survived a violent accident due to safety features in the two cars.

Justin Graeber

The police cruiser’s front end was demolished when the vehicle hit the side of an SUV truck. All that was left was the passenger compartment, and trunk.

Even the wheels were gone.

Despite the brutal collision and level of damage, Sgt. Gregory Ames was listed in good condition Wednesday at a Boston hospital. The driver of the SUV, which was hit on the driver’s side door, walked away in no need of treatment.

The reasons for their good fortune – safety features in both vehicles. And despite the condition of the police car, officials said it has the same features as most vehicles.

There are some “extras” in cars specifically designed for police use – for example, some police cars have an alternator that can crank out 225 amps or more compared to a typical civilian car, which has 100 amps or less. This can be used to power additional electronics in a police car, like a radio or laptop.

But the bones of the car, its metal frame, is basically no different from a car any customer might buy from a dealership, other than some extra steel in the roof to reinforce the flashing lights.

“There are no structural differences structurally,” said Michael Palese, a spokesman for Dodge, which makes Chargers for police use. “Police vehicles are generally upfitted quite significantly by police departments and require more capacity to operate electronics.”

In photos from the crash scene, the front end of the cruiser is almost completely destroyed, but the cabin area appears intact. However, having a front end that absorbs damage in a collision is a safety feature common to many cars, not just police vehicles.

Promotional information for the Ford police vehicle, the Interceptor, mentions the vehicle is rated to withstand a 75 mph rear collision. The car also has ballistic panels in the front doors.

The West Bridgewater cruiser involved in Tuesday’s crash was a Ford.

Although the driver’s side door of the SUV was pushed in during the crash, the driver of that vehicle, Ciro Tropeano of Easton, walked away without injury, according to police. A driver-side airbag deployed during the accident.

A 2006 study showed that side airbags that protect people’s heads are reducing driver deaths in cars struck on the near (driver) side by an estimated 37 percent, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Airbags that protect only the chest and abdomen but not the head can reduce deaths by 26 percent.

Justin Graeber may be reached at jgraeber@enterprisenews.com or follow him on Twitter @Justin_ENT

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